Hydraulic dredging apparatus.



F. H. GRIDLEY. HYDRAULIC DBBDGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION PILED JAN. l1. 1911.

Patented June 27,1911.

1HE NoRRls PETERS ca., wAsmNnaN. D. c.

FRED H. GRIDLEY, OF LONGBEACH., CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F FORTY-FIVE ONE- I-IUNDREDTI-IS TO NORTH AMERICAN DREDGING C0. 0F NEVADA, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, YA `CORPORAIION OF NEVADA.

HYDRAULIC DREDGING APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED H. GRIDLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Longbeach, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Dredging Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hydraulic dredg ing apparatus, more yparticularly to means for preventing obstructions such as stones or the like from passing through the suction pipe of said dredging apparatus to cause injury to the machinery thereof, and it may be said to consist in the novel and improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will appear from the description and claims hereinafter.

It is an object of the invention to provide simple and effective means of this class that may operate without the necessity of stopping the suction pump and withV a minimum 4discontinuation of the operation of the dredging apparatus.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means whereby the parts of the stone arrester may be readily actuated and controlled in operation by the operator.

Further objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description of one form of construction in which the invention may be embodied, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus having the invention applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stone ar' rester with parts thereof in discharging position.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the dredge 2 may be of any approved construction and be provided with the cutter 3 operated by shaft 4 supported by frame 5 which is connected to the dredge by hinge 6 and is supported by tackle 7. The suction pipe 8 has inserted in its length, preferably at a point normally below tho water line, a housing 8a which may be provided at Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1911.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Serial No. 602,085.

its ends with flanges 9 for attachment to the said pipe.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the central part of housing 8 is preferably rectangular in section and is cut away at its sides and bottom to provide a port 10 around the edges of which may be provided a flange 11 to serve as a seat for t-he closure 12 which is preferably connected to the housing by hinges 13. Closure 12 is provided at its point of contact with flange 11 with a similar flange 14. Flange 11 may have a groove 15 in which may be embedded a strip of resilient material 16 which, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, renders the joint between the closure and the housing substantially water-tight. Between the sides 17 of closure 12 may be positioned a grid 18 preferably formed of fingers 19 a'ttached to a bar 20 hingedly supported by the sides 17. In the closed position of the device the ends of fingers 19 rest in pockets 21 formed in the bottom of closure 12. 1f desired, the central pocket 21a may be used for a substitute grid having but one finger. At each side of housing 8 is supported on a stud 22 a lever 23 the lower end 24 of which is adapted to contact with and press downward a pin 25 carried by closure 12. The upper ends of levers 23 have attached thereto cables 26 which may be connected to a cable 27 passing around the drum 2S of a small winch 28a. At each side of closure 12 may be arranged an ear 29 having attached thereto a cable 30 which cables may be joined to a cable 31, Fig. 1, which may pass over a pulley 32 supported by an arm 33 attached to frame 5. Cable 31 is preferablywound upon drum 28 in a reverse direction to that in which the cable 27 is wound.

The mode of operation of the invention may be as follows: The parts being in the position indicated in Fig.` 1, cable 31 being momentarily tightened to hold the closure 12 to shut port 10, the dredging machinery may be set in operation to rotate the cutter 3 and draw the loosened material through pipe 8. Vhen the closure 12 covers port 10, the fingers 19 extend into the pockets 21 and are locked in position therein by abutting against flanges 11. Should stones or other obstructions become lodged against the grid 18, this condition being indicated by diminished discharge, winch 28EL may be operated to pull cable 27. This moves levers 23 causing their ends 24 to press pins 25 downwardly and thus start closure 12 from its seat and thereby breaking the suction in pipe 8; whereupon the weight of said closure causes it to swing downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 so that the stones, etc., lodged against the grid 18 may force the ends of lingers 19 away from the bottom of closure 12 and drop therefrom. The parts may be restored to the normal position by operating` winch 28a to draw the closure 12 to its seat where. it will be retained, by they pressure external to the pipe, until the operation of discharging stones, etc., is repeated. It is, of course, understood that a basket or other receptacle may be disposed belowhousing Sto receive the stones, etc., discharged through port 10. Again, itwill be evident that if desired the grid may be affixed in the housing 8a at the end of port 10nearest the pump, or, it may be affixed to the closure at the end thereof remote from the pump, but preferably arranged so that it will be inclined to the vertical when the closure is open.

While the preferred form of construction in which the invention may be embodied has been illustrated and described, there are various changes and modifications thereof that will readily occur to those skilled in the art, wherefore the right is reserved to all such changes and modifications as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The combination with the suction apparatus of a hydraulic dredge, of a suction pipe having a port therein, a closure for saidv port normally held to its seat by iiuid pressure external to said, pipe, and means associated with said closure for preventing solids above a certain size from passing throughy said pipe.

2. The combination with the suction apparatus of a hydraulic dredge, of a suction pipe having a port therein, a closure for said port normally held to its seat by iiuid pressure external to said pipe, means adjacent to said port for arresting the passage of solidsthrough said pipe, and devices forv starting said closure from its seat and for returning it to its seat.

3. The combination with the suction ap paratus of a dredge, of a suction pipe having a port therein, a closure for said port,

said closure normally held to position by iiuid pressure external to said pipe, a grid adjacent to said port, and means to force said closure from its seat. s i

t. In combination with the suction apparatus of a dredge, a suction pipe having a port therein, a closure for said port, a winch, means connected with said winch to force said closure from its seat and means connected with said winch to ret-urn saidclosure to its seat.

5. A stone arrester for hydraulic dredges comprising in combination, a housing ada-pted to be connected into and form part of the suction pipe of said dredge, said housing having a port therein, a grid adjacent to said port, a closure for said port, said closure normally held to place by iiuid pressure external to said pipe but adapted to move from said normal position when the excess of external pressure is removed.

6. A stone arrester for hydraulic dredges, comprising, in combination, a housing adapted to be connected into and form part of the suction pipe of said dredger, a port in said housing, a closure for said port, and a grid carried by said closure.

7. ln a stone arrester, the combination of a housing having a port therein, a. closure for said port, and a t `rid movably supported between the sides o t-he closure.

8. In a stone arrester, the combination of a housing having a port therein, a closure forsaid port hingedly mounted on the housing', a grid movably supported between the sides of the closure, and means on said housing adapted to coact with means on said closure to move the closure away from the housing.

9. In a stone arrester, the combination of a housing having a port therein, a closure for said port, said closure provided with a pocket therein, and a grid movably supported between the sides of the closure, said grid including a finger adapted to extend into said pocket and be locked in position therein under predetermined conditions.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, this 24th day of December A. D. 1910.

F. H. GRIDLE Y.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES F. GUTHRIDGE, HARRY A. Bnooxs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oli-Patents, Washington, D.k C. 

